CMC Preview Tease

Geordie

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Hmm, a new game that has at its core an old unsupported game. I have a feeling that this may not work very well, not the game, the symbiotic concept, especially if its not supported.

We shall see.
 

KG_Jag

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Hmm, a new game that has at its core an old unsupported game. I have a feeling that this may not work very well, not the game, the symbiotic concept, especially if its not supported.

We shall see.
Like most warily interested in CM X 2 WWII, I will watch how this puppy is reviewed, especially by everyday gamers, before I consider buying it.

Battlefront's recent track record has certainly discouraged pre-orders of their games.
 

Michael Dorosh

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There may be a slight bit of confusion here.

a) the CM:C game is fully supported by Battlefront
b) a new .exe of CM:BB will be included with the game, and new code has been written to allow a "bridge" between CM:C and CM:BB

Now, Geordie is correct in that CM:BB itself is, at present, "unsupported" at least as far as no new features or bug fixes. But I want to clarify that CM:C is supported.

The preview isn't showing much new that hasn't been discussed in public before. The screenshots are certainly new, but my own reaction is kind of one of "so what"? The game seems to track a lot of really trivial stuff, in ways that the player won't have any direct control over, and in the meantime has patched together a mostly unworkable campaign system in which giant battles will be fought for no apparent purpose on a map you can't plan operations on, for objectives that have no real military value.

For example, ammo is tracked, but from what has been said publicly, we don't know what ability the player will have to change the level of supply. Say you're in Stalingrad and want to hole up in the Tractor Factory. Can you overstock a position with ammo in the event you're surrounded and cut off? (They did that historically) Or are the ammo rules mere chrome?

The tactical battles seem to be fought on 2 x 2 maps, with the action driven by flags (they would have to be, since the game is being marketed at a solo-play as well as 2-player). So are the flags going to be laid out on military objectives (high ground, crossroads, buildings) or just stuck in the middle of map sectors? And who wants to play a 60 turn game on a 4km-square map every time a game is generated? Yes, I know the game allows an auto-play feature, but firstly, how would anyone know whether or not it could be trusted, and secondly, why would you want to let the computer play it out? I would rather have the game generate a battle and map with parameters appropriate to the situation - i.e. a company vs. company fight should take place on a 1 km square map for 30 turns, with the action scaled down appropriately. I've seen no evidence based on what has been said publicly that this will happen, nor any discussion that it was even considered - JasonC brought it up 2 or 3 years ago IIRC.

I'll look forward to the preview in Armchair General, but the tease doesn't seem like much of a tease, not for me, anyway. The antiquated map (and I've been hammering that point every chance I get like a broken record only because it's true - Soldiers at War used the same 3/4 map view 10 years ago and it sucked then, too) is completely inappropriate for an operational level military game, ditto the goofy icons. BFC set such a high standard for clean, easy interface with CMBO and have been going steadily downhill from there, with CMSF's idiotic hotkey system being the absolute lowpoint. We'll see if this marks a new low....
 
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KG_Jag

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Battlefront has already announced that CMC will be an eLicense release. So my question is will their eLicense scheme screw up/have any impact upon my non-eLicense CMBB?

As you have probably have guessed, I am not a fan of eLicense and consider its presence a major negative factor in deciding whether or not to buy any game.
 

Redwolf

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I'm way beyond "tease" when it comes to CMC.

The big question is whether they kicked the DX5 code to be (a) compatible with whatever NVidia and ATI provide for DX10 drivers today and (b) luift that stupid 1600x1200 limit so that we 1920x1200 users have something to watch. Everything else would be a joke.
 

[hirr]Leto

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So riddle me this:

When the CMC comes out, you have to already have purchased CMBB?

Question two:

If you get CMC, will your old CMBB be upgraded in some way? How specifically?

Question three:

If you have a train leaving chicago for new york doing 25mph, and a train leaving new york doing 35mph, and the distance between new york and chicago is 1000 miles, at what point of the track will the trains meet head on and collide, killing hundreds of people amongst twisted and burning debris?

Cheers!

Leto
 

Michael Dorosh

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[hirr]Leto;1036372 said:
So riddle me this:

When the CMC comes out, you have to already have purchased CMBB?
No, you can play CMC on its own, but you have to have CMBB in order to play CMBB tactical battles.

Question two:

If you get CMC, will your old CMBB be upgraded in some way? How specifically?
The upgrade will permit the interface between CMC and CMBB AFAIK. Don't know if any other upgrades will be made, but it seems doubtful.

Question three:

If you have a train leaving chicago for new york doing 25mph, and a train leaving new york doing 35mph, and the distance between new york and chicago is 1000 miles, at what point of the track will the trains meet head on and collide, killing hundreds of people amongst twisted and burning debris?

Cheers!

Leto
The trains never meet; it's a trick question.
 

[hirr]Leto

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No, you can play CMC on its own, but you have to have CMBB in order to play CMBB tactical battles.



The upgrade will permit the interface between CMC and CMBB AFAIK. Don't know if any other upgrades will be made, but it seems doubtful.



The trains never meet; it's a trick question.
So the premise then is that they are basing a brand new wargame on an unsupported and 8 year old gaming platform (for tactical level battles).

I have several business degrees... this does not make sense to me.

Perhaps some can fill in the blanks?

Cheers!

Leto
 

Michael Dorosh

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[hirr]Leto;1036382 said:
So the premise then is that they are basing a brand new wargame on an unsupported and 8 year old gaming platform (for tactical level battles).

I have several business degrees... this does not make sense to me.

Perhaps some can fill in the blanks?

Cheers!

Leto
Moon has already stated publicly that they don't expect to make a lot of money on it and that they are basically doing it to get it off the shelf as a "favour" to the fans, or some such nonsense.
 

Redwolf

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[hirr]Leto;1036382 said:
So the premise then is that they are basing a brand new wargame on an unsupported and 8 year old gaming platform (for tactical level battles).

I have several business degrees... this does not make sense to me.
To clarify, of course you get a new CMBB with CMC, it'll be included. It should certainly be playable as CMBB without CMC involvement, although I don't know whether they leave all the gizmos like quickbattle generator intact.

Business-wise - this was supposed to come out years ago.
 

Michael Dorosh

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To clarify, of course you get a new CMBB with CMC, it'll be included. It should certainly be playable as CMBB without CMC involvement, although I don't know whether they leave all the gizmos like quickbattle generator intact.

Business-wise - this was supposed to come out years ago.
Redwolf, are you sure?

My understanding is that CM:C includes the CM:BB .exe file. That's it. Not the BMPs, not the WAVs, etc. Just the modified .exe. You would still need to own a licensed copy of the actual CMBB software in order to play the tactical battles in CM:BB.
 

Redwolf

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Redwolf, are you sure?

My understanding is that CM:C includes the CM:BB .exe file. That's it. Not the BMPs, not the WAVs, etc. Just the modified .exe. You would still need to own a licensed copy of the actual CMBB software in order to play the tactical battles in CM:BB.
I don't think that has been decided. I think which of these two options to choose depends on what they project the market to be.

If CMC is assumed to have any real value, they'll price it medium and include a full CMBB.

If CMC is assumed to have value only for the existing CMx1 crowd they'll price is low (or free) and do what you say. I don't think that decision has been made.

I am stunned that there isn't a thread over at BFC about this update.
 

BlitzCanuck

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A couple years ago when it was originally supposed to be released (back in the days before CMSF when BF could do no wrong), they could've charged as much as they did for CMBB. But a lot of time has passed on a game that was already aged at it's inception so how well will it sell now?
 

[hirr]Leto

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He said the second train leaves New York, but he never tells you it's headed for Washington D.C. on a separate track...

*Leto touches nose*.

Its all an exercise in obfiscation, much like the whole CMC thing. Anybody working out the problem that CMC and CMBB will somehow meet, are probably going to be in for a real shock when they find out the true plot.

Cheers!

Leto
 

jwb3

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Ah, but why do they never meet? :)
He said the second train leaves New York, but he never tells you it's headed for Washington D.C. on a separate track...
Nah, that's not it.

It's because, "East is east, and west is west, and never the twains shall meet."







You can thank my 8th grade math teacher for that groaner... :D

:clown: John
 
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